Favorite "Grime City Story" comic?

[Doctor Robo]

For a while now we have been producing short limited issue comics we call "Grime City Stories", which have featured a bigger variety of plots and a tighter cast of characters for each story than our larger epics like "Twisted Tales" or "Original Sin". I would like to know which of these "Grime City Stories" are your favorites, and why. Please feel free to be as descriptive as you can about what turns you on about any given story, and although you can only vote for two stories in this poll please don't hesitate to list any other favorites in your response.

- Doc

[Trishbot]

I've gotta say, I've been extremely happy with the Grime City Stories. It's allowed for a far greater degree of variety and quirkiness that might not have worked as effectively in another big epic (the milking stories come to mind), while the narrowed focus has allowed otherwise glossed over heroines and villains to step into the spotlight and get fleshed out.

I cast my votes for "Changing of the Guard" and "Halloween Havoc", mainly because both stories seem like they have more far-reaching consequences, as well as updating and bringing up to speed two favorite villains. Belinda is back doing what she does best, while Kikka's dramatic resurrection and make-over practically guarantee excitement for future issues involving the formidable fascist. That includes showcasing lesser-known heroines like Bluebird and Swallow as well as evolving the characters of Noctrissa, Mesmerella, and Warden Smith. The new police-slave is just icing on the delicious cake.

While those were my favorites (thus far), I am extremely fond of "Hot Summer's Night" for showing a vastly different story perspective to an event we're all familiar with. I would absolutely adore similar stories doing that as well. "Tasty Treats" was also a bizarre little story (and I consider "King of Hooter County" to be an extension of it) that showcased some great, inventive ideas. I'd love to see more "themed" villains like Dairy King running around with particular fetishes outside of the box.

Most of the other stories were just plain FUN. There's not a single one I think I disliked. "Wireless" was a great showpiece for the greentooth earpieces that everyone loves. "Tough Love" was a great resolution between the iconic Valient Grrl and Mechana fued. "Night Before Twistmas" was just a screwy, silly little story that seemed rather out of place yet was delightfully enjoyable and festive. Meanwhile, fan-favorite "Mesmerella" made her darling debut, Crissy's path to the darkside has been hinted upon in several issue, and "Digital Desires" has proven to be a great little character story.

My only comments would be that this formula of short stories involving a few characters is brilliant, but hasn't tapped into its full potential. As much as folks adore Ms. Metrobay, Silver Satin, Belinda, and Blackout, many of those characters have already had starring roles in many previous issues. The format works FAR better, IMO, when lesser known heroines like Bluebird shows up, new characters and villains like Mesmerella, Noctrissa, and Mayor Turner are introduced, and stories feel connected to the world and events around them. Since these aren't epics, I'd like to see more risks rather than safe-bets (no to say there haven't been big changes), and more obscure heroines and villains stepping in to strut their stuff.

[Akonkid]

I went with "Mesmerella" and "Wireless".

"Mesmerella" introduced a fantastic new villain. She's classy, fun, stylish, and not even altogether evil. She's got a flair for the dramatic that I adore and she's a stunner as well. Her appearances in the Halloween issue and "Mind Over Magic" only solidified how great an addition to the Metrobay cast see is.

"Wireless", meanwhile, is a story that I like because it has consequences. There's been a few accusations that these stories always seem to return to a "status quo", but this is an exception. The mayor of the city is (to date) permanently under Max's control and has been manipulating heroines and friends into dangerous traps and evil plots. Danielle is still Max's personal pleasure-slave alongside Ginger. RollerGrrl and DareDoll still have no clue just how much trouble they've caused the entire city. And, of course, the big cliffhanger/teaser of "Pleaure Island" is still floating around.

Most of these stories are great. I agree that narrowing the focus to emphasize speciality brands of MC and individual characters is a good idea. I hope it continues, because there's a long list of heroines in dire need of some proper attention and respect.

[mkmngr]

I have gone for "Changing of the Guard" and "Wireless".

We see normal, intelligent, free-willed women in normal environments (Mayor Smith in her office, a young sargeant on her first promotion and keen to impress) until they are suddently subjugated into obedient puppets, by the imposition of a higher level of control from outside.

They have no way of knowing why they are doing certain things - Erica Donovan appears to have been permanently re-wired, whilst Mayor Turner will never return to the path of the free-willed, incorruptible public servant whilst her Master's commands are trickling in though her earpiece. Warden Smith needs Max to invest in another couple of outfits for her to wear.......

These are definitely two stories deserving further development - which I would hope to enjoy through further chapters over time.

What would happen if Warden Smith were to be unplugged from her greentooth command unit?
Could we perhaps have a retrospective please, showing how the Greentooth unit originally took up its comfortable and influential presence inside her ear?

How could these three subjugated women, perhaps acting in a co-ordinated, drone-like manner, gather further hapless victims into the "Sisterhood of Greentooth O-B-D-N-s"? Plus of course regular visits of new free-willed women into the welcoming embrace of the Psycho-Slaver's clamps and headlocks.

And how is Max able to influence Belinda as she works inside The Funhouse? I notice that we've never been given a clear view of what may lie beneath her neat hairstyle - has she also received the benefits of Greentooth technology when no-one (especially her!) was looking?

These are just a couple of thoughts - because my heroines are not allowed them!
Keep up the good work.
Mike

[Doctor Robo]

Very interesting polll results so far... I had figured that "Changing of the Guard" would be high on the list, but I guess I underestimated "Wireless". That's good news, because both the greentooth earpieces and the Psycho-slaver will take center stage again in the coming weeks and months.

It's also interesting to see that many stories got at least one vote. That tells me that there are a wide variety of tastes within our membership, which is a good thing. These "Grime City Stories" tend to bounce around from one setting to another, so it's nice to have an idea of where we should try to bounce back to from time to time.

Thanks everyone for your participation. Keep the comments and votes coming!

- Doc

[mkmngr]

That's great news Doc.

Would it help you if I were to knock up some storyboards on a possible new story? I can provide some sketches BUT the last thing I would want to do is tread on toes across the Atlantic!

Might I, as one of members also suggest to you some ways of improving the penetration of Greentooth technology into the wider (female) population? I ask because I have a couple of storyboards which might help flesh out the ideas. Obviously this is a fantasy and not representative of real-life, disclaimer, yadda-yadda-yadda....! If so, which forum would you like me to post my sketches into?

My proposal is "women in business" - i.e. women who are "suited and booted" rather than wearing superheroine costumes. So, in this Parallel universe, the ladies keep their clothes on (but I've not forgotten about LordSomno's idea last week - cue more relaxed revealing outfits, higher hemlines, more leather etc!)

SO, I'm looking at Greentooth being used for subjugating the (female) staff at the global telecomms company. The targeted enslavement will begin with the (female) Head of Legal at the Corporate HQ in London. The subjugated Head of Production (who has received a VERY persuasive lunch and product pitch from a certain Mr M Indeks at "APEX Stylish Lightweight Easy Earpiece Productions Ltd") returns from her lunch at ASLEEP, wearing and praising a "new lightweight earpiece from a new supplier" which can be offered to staff and customers for suitability/comfort testing, being used to replace the womens' existing earpieces. She asks Head of Legal to wear a sample Greentooth earpiece, just before signing off on the document to allow a wider pool of female staff to "help" in the Greentooth experiment, Obviously, within 30 seconds the Head of Legal knows that she must sign and that she must support the new project and protect it from any challenges! The senior female managers of the company are swiftly fitted with replacment super-light earpieces from ASLEEP and they are soon proving that the new, lightweight headsets are stylish, supremely comfortable in small feminine ears. They all somehow seem dedicated to ensuring that the other female guinea-pigs all agree enthusiastically that "we must sell these to our female customers". The pitch will be "light as a feather, hard to dislodge (oh dear!), snug and feminine". It is noticeable (to any free-willed woman who remains until she is taken) that, during Company-wide testing, somehow every Greentooth-fitted woman agrees that she is hearing better; she seems to pay attention to her new snug-fit earpiece - and all hope for her continued free-will is extinguished. Hairstyles seem to be lower, covering more ears (like Belinda in the Funhouse...........)

A set of earpieces are developed for Police use (with a "security" clip which locks right round the ear of the senior female Commander when she arrives for a product demo, thus ensuring she is soon "tuned-in" to her new ASLEEP control and "locked-in" to Max Indeks' fiendish plot) and this new earpiece rapidly produces the desired results as it spreads inexorably within the female ranks of MPD. The female MPD Commander seems unusually enthusiastic about sending entire teams of her female officers for ASLEEP earpieces until it is too late and they have all been subjugated. And then four of them are sent to check MPCI security arrangements at The Funhouse........ Welcome to Oblivion!

Another idea is bringing the (female) Marketing team in Spain under Greentooth control (and gifting one Spanish beauty amongst the women to Max Indeks for his personal use when he visits Madrid). The final thought is using one enthralled woman to activate another (using her PDA to issue the "ACTIVATE AND PROCESS" command) as the Greentooth influence spreads silently, pervasively and irresistably through the female Company staff. Soon the overwhelming majority will all be ASLEEP customers - willingly or obliviously - and so on until they are all subjugated, obedient and poised ready to launch the ASLEEP products into ears of the wider female population. And then, to keep Lordsomno happy, the ladies of the Board start to wear more revealing outfits, but they cannot explain why........... I can cover these in storyboards IF these would help your upcoming episodes.

Finally I'm delighted to see that Greentooth and the Psycho-slaver (my personal favourites) are to feature in upcoming story lines.
This membership fee is really money well spent. I can't wait for you to show us the next visit to the Funhouse and the Mayor's Office!!!

Cheers,
Mike the Manager

[Northern Chill]

Myself, I voted for "Crissy Tanner's Nightmare" and "Tasty Treats"....the former, well, not hard to guess why......the latter one as it had a large number of Squad members, a new villain and nice guest appearances...

Personally, I like all the Grime City Stories and echo the sentiment that I hope they are used to build characters that aren't quite as prominent as Ms. Metrobay.

[cvn88]

I voted for "Wireless" in part because it has long lasting consequences, with the Greentooth still affecting the Squad in so many ways. One problem with a lot of comics (not only here but "mainstream" comics as well) is that everything seems to be reset at the start of a new story/issue and the events of the prior story/issue might as well never have happened. But Wireless introduced a wrinkle that still hasn't been smoothed out.

Plus, the story was just freaking hot!

[Doctor Robo]

Finally I'm delighted to see that Greentooth and the Psycho-slaver (my personal favourites) are to feature in upcoming story lines.
This membership fee is really money well spent. I can't wait for you to show us the next visit to the Funhouse and the Mayor's Office!!!

Cheers,
Mike the Manager

Mike, I can't think of a greater compliment than for you to tell us that a membership to our site is "money well spent". That really makes all the hours we put in worthwhile. The positive story feedback is an excellent perk of the job, and is always greatly appreciated, but comments like yours are what truly drive me to do my best on these stories each and every week.

- Doc